Opportunity Place Shelter for Homeless Women and Families

In the beginning....

In April, 2007, two women, Lenore Wilson and Lydia Barton, embarked on a journey to fashion the Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum of Care/ Opportunity, Inc. into an organization that could truly alleviate homelessness in this region. Our goal was to utilize and support existing service providers, and to bring desperately needed new services to the community.

Short term housing for women and children was not our first goal, or even our tenth. Indeed, we were as fixed on the traditional idea of homelessness equating to single men and women living on the streets as anyone. Following the direction of a terrific Board of Directors, our focus was on a day resource center for homeless individuals, an emergency shelter that would relieve the various churches from having to staff the cold night shelters, and to bolster those service providers on the front lines. These are still worthy goals, and we work on all of them.

But by December, 2007, it was obvious that the homeless world was changing. The economic recession was having an enormous impact on young families. Parents called pleading for help for their little ones. Single moms were living out of cars; intact families were camping in the woods. Babies were homeless, and their mothers were helpless.

By grace, and the resourcefulness of Lydia, quite a few families were being helped. A mother of three, one of whose children was severely disabled, was able to obtain housing, Medicaid, and food stamps. Another mother of three, fleeing a domestic violence situation in another state, found housing, a good job, and help with her children's interrupted education. A father of six came in out of the rain, and found a well paying job, an apartment he could afford, and hope.

It wasn't enough. Problems were handled piecemeal, and far more slipped through the cracks than climbed out of the hole. The need for a systematic approach was acute.

In December 2008, an amazing chain of events led to the purchase of property which had started life as a foster home. The Community Development Corporation (CDC) utilized State Housing Initiative Program (SHIP) dollars to buy four adjoining lots on 305 Lovejoy Road, renovated two of the three buildings, and leased the property to Opportunity, Inc. in exchange for payment of insurance and maintenance costs. Lenore and Lydia moved to the property in May, 2009.

Since fortune was smiling, Opportunity Place began to take shape. The exterior was painted, the third building tiled, bathrooms put in place, doors fitted into closets and between rooms. Everything looked all set for a grand opening on August 1, 2009.

A funny thing happened on the way to the big date. A grandmother with seven small children, ages 2-13, came in out of the woods. They had become homeless after parents had scattered to the winds. They had nothing but a deep trust that someone, somewhere, could help. When the three year old told her grandmother, “This place is awesome! Will the nice people let us stay?” Opportunity Place was officially opened.

By that night, July 5, five adults and fourteen children had moved in. Neither Lydia nor Lenore had the slightest idea of how to run a shelter, but we are mothers and grandmothers, and we know how to make beds. Clients and staff began to learn together.

From the very beginning of Opportunity Place’s existence as a shelter, we were blessed with the effort and heart of some stunning volunteers. They brought meals, laundry detergent, and blankets. One volunteer brought wisdom, resources, and experience with a struggling community. Lenore was able to secure an emergency shelter grant, and in September, CC Fearson became the resident manager. With CC in charge of the shelter program, Opportunity Place secured the key to its future as a family-centered, resource center for those in our community in the greatest need.

Today Opportunity Place is a fully conceived "shelter plus" program. Single women and families come not just for shelter and food, but a chance and the resources to heal, to grow, and to move on. Twelve family units are available, so that each family can have privacy and time. Four common areas allow adults to play with their children, children to play with each other, and adults to pool their resources.

The primary building houses offices, a kitchen, dining area, and multi-purpose room. Clients go there for meals, budgeting classes, counseling sessions, intakes, progress reports, and exit interviews. Outside is a playground, food pantry, and room to run.

Many people have worked miracles in making Opportunity Place the place where broken families are made whole. Partner agencies teach children, help clients build resumes and hone interview skills, learn to cope with trauma. Volunteers provide meals, a shoulder to cry on, eyes to smile into, and hands to hold. Staff members welcome women and families into the shelter, explain the rules, hold clients accountable for getting jobs, housing, GEDS, and prepare them for their eventual exit. They not only direct clients to JobsPlus to register for jobs and benefits, but they make their stay dependent upon their effort in working with that and other public resources. The combination of agencies, volunteers and staff has led to an amazing array of happy endings, and a few heartbreaks. And the original pair of women still knows how to make beds.


	Okaloosa Walton Homeless Continuum Care / Opportunity, Inc.
	Opportunity, Inc. (Admin Office) 203 Cloverdale Boulevard, Suite B Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547 Phone: (850) 409-3070 Fax: (850) 409-3071 info@okaloosawaltonhomeless.org	Opportunity Place 305 Lovejoy Road Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548 Phone: (850) 659-3190 Fax: (850) 659-3191